Barren Sky (Four Minutes)
by Jennifer Ever Zero
Summary: He was alone in the world now, the only thing he'd ever had faith in was broken. Four minutes of Willis' now-shattered life. 1ooo points if you can spot the Sisters of Mercy reference.


Barren Sky (Four Minutes)

By Zero

+++

It was only 8:30, but it seemed like the day had gone on forever for Willis. He pulled the curtain of his apartment back and looked out the window. The sky was yellowish-brown, a mixture of all the snow and smog in New York...it looked like a poisonous cloud. The city lights glared off the wet street and the thick crust of snow, and the blaring of horns and sirens echoed through the hollow alleys. Willis closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall, letting out a long, soft sigh.

__

"Willis, this is Mom. Please call me as soon as you can, we need to talk. I'll be at home all day today and tomorrow, and then I'm going to your grandma's. I love you very much. Please call..." 

That message rang through Willis' ears again and again. His mom never said 'I love you' unless something was wrong. Little did he know how wrong everything would be. If it weren't for that message, if it weren't for that 'I love you', maybe he'd still be in school. Maybe he'd even be back in Colorado. He opened his eyes and slowly wandered back to his bed, tossing his Vinnie's Pizza application aside. He'd just picked it up, as soon as he realized that he was on his own.

__

"I don't know what to do! None of it was in my name...I'm staying with Grandma, at least until I can get back on my feet again...maybe I can find an apartment, but there's just nothing cheap around here anymore! I know, this is just so hard...I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Mom, you didn't do anything wrong!"

"Then why did this happen to me?"

With an angry huff, he remembered his mom's question. He could have told her that bad things happen to good people...but she was more than good, and what happened to her was much more than bad. It was robbery, taking everything she owned and everything she lived for...and not only ruined her life, ruined her son's life. Willis stalked to the fridge and opened it...instead of the food he was hoping for, he found a ketchup packet, three Cokes, and some salad dressing. He walked back to the bed and sat, burying his head in his hands.

__

"So he just took off? Where did he go?"

"I-I don't know. I don't. I just got back from Aspen with your cousins...his car was gone...I walked in the house, and all his stuff was gone! And then, on the bed, I found a bottle of Vodka, he'd been drinking again...", her voice trailed off.

"Mom? Are you ok?"

"... ... just wait...I'll be fine... .." he heard her fighting to catch her breath. "I tried his pager, tried his cell, got nothing...I called his brother, he wasn't there, none of the neighbors heard anything from him, his parents didn't know...so I went to the ATM the next day, and our account was empty. I used the last bit of cash I had to change the locks..."

Willis stood again, fidgety and nervous...it had only been three minutes since he checked the time last. He took another look out the window at the tiny, blowing snowflakes. It was almost morning in Tokyo, and he could finally make a phone call...he rummaged through his pockets, pulling out a small handful of cash (that had to last him until he got a job and a paycheck, and tuition was out of the question) and a phone number.

__

"Why don't you just make him get treatment, you know, go to meetings?"

"I've tried, Willis, I've been trying ever since we first got married! He just won't listen...and it's a shame, I love your father more than anyone else on this earth, but if he won't change...if he doesn't have enough respect for me to hear me out...I just can't take it anymore. You'll understand someday, life doesn't always do what you think it's gonna do."

He looked at his watch. 8:34pm. He knew it was still too early, but he punched in Kari's number anyway. He needed someone to talk to.

+++

"Huh?," Kari sleepily answered. She sat up and clicked on her light, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and trying (so hard!) to stifle a yawn. She'd been fast asleep.

"Kari, it's me, I'm sorry I woke you..."

"Willis?! What's the matter?"

"... ... I'm so glad you're here..." She barely heard him whisper, he sounded dead.

"Come on, Willis...tell me what's wrong. Don't worry, I'll always be here..."

"Don't. Don't try to tell me anything, don't try to tell me you'll be true to me..." Were those tears? She heard his voice crack over the phone.

+++

He let the tears flood his face, not saying anything, just listening to Kari call his name. He needed to hear that voice so much, but at the same time, he just wanted to curse her to hell because he knew their friendship couldn't last forever.

"Willis! What's the matter? I'm still here, I'm still listening...so just calm down, I promise I won't get mad at you." The flood continued, silent sobs racking his body. He was alone in the world now, the only thing he'd ever had faith in was broken.

"Willis?," she asked, almost cheerfully, "Is it snowing in New York?"

Taken aback by the question, he opened his eyes. "Yeh. It's snowing bad."

"Well...close your curtains and close your eyes. Think of me, right there with you. Everywhere else in the world might be freezing and cloudy...but you've got a place in the sun with me."

His eyes fluttered shut, blinking out the tears he'd tried to keep inside. They felt warm as they ran down his face, almost like they were washing away some of his pain. 

"Thanks. Thanks, kid, I..."

"Thank me later. For now, just calm down, relax. One way or another, believe it or not, things are gonna go your way again. Now...what happened?"

"I got the strangest call on my machine this morning, my mom..."

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